1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to subassemblies for automobile vehicles including a cooling cassette and a support frame for the cassette.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Subassemblies for automobile vehicles including a cooling cassette supporting a motorized fan unit and a frame supporting the cassette are known in the art. The subassembly constitutes what is sometimes referred to as the technical front bulkhead of the vehicle. At present, the cassette is generally fixed to the frame by means of positive fasteners such as screws. This has drawbacks, however. If the vehicle suffers a frontal impact (such as a standard DANNER impact), causing pressure to be applied to the cooling cassette, the subassembly often fractures, damaging the cassette and the frame.
One object of the invention is to provide a subassembly of the above kind which improves the chances of the cassette and/or the frame remaining undamaged if the vehicle suffers a frontal impact.
To achieve the above object, the invention provides a vehicle subassembly including a cooling cassette provided with at least one cassette element and a frame provided with at least one frame element adapted to cooperate with the cassette element to fix the cassette to the frame, which elements are adapted so that a thrust force applied to a face of the cassette that faces toward the front when mounted in the vehicle causes the cassette element to separate from the frame element.
Accordingly, in many circumstances, if the impact applies a force toward the rear on the cassette, it separates the cassette from the frame without damaging either of them. It is therefore possible either to refit the cassette to the frame or to replace only the cassette or only the frame with an identical component.
The subassembly according to the invention can further have at least one of the following features:
it includes an elastomer stud adapted to be interposed between the cassette element and the frame element;
the cassette element is adapted to come into contact with the frame element to fix the cassette to the frame;
one of the two elements of the pair consisting of the cassette element and the frame element is conformed as a male part and the other element of that pair is conformed as a female part adapted to receive the male part;
the cassette element is conformed as a male part;
one of the two elements of the pair consisting of the cassette element and the frame element is conformed as a lug and the other element of that pair is conformed to retain the lug with a clipping action;
the cassette element is conformed as a lug;
it includes a rib projecting from the face of the cassette that faces toward the front when mounted in the vehicle;
it includes a motorized fan unit fixed to the cassette, the cassette having a raised portion projecting from the face of the cassette that faces toward the front when mounted in the vehicle and projecting farther toward the front than the motorized fan unit.
The invention also provides a vehicle including a cooling cassette provided with at least one cassette element and a frame provided with at least one frame element cooperating with the cassette element to fix the cassette to the frame, which elements are adapted so that a thrust force applied to a face of the cassette that faces toward the front when mounted in the vehicle causes the cassette element to separate from the frame element.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent in the course of the following description of a preferred embodiment, which description is given by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawing.